Beatha (completed book 7 of the blood moon saga)

25

"Just look at that, you did that. You decided you could and you did it. Just like you will make the farm happen. If you can do that you can do anything"

"I invented a new strand, it's called the Arthur. It's going to be one of the strongest on the market"

I pull her back to look her over and I can't help but grin at her. She was amazing. Luca and Aspen were right there is potential pouring out of these 2 girls, yet no one seems to be able to see it other than them both.

"Ailm that's really incredible, you and isla have a really bright future and I promise to have your back? I will help you both get it up and running. I can see what you are and how much potential you have and I will support you as a friend until you decide otherwise"

She blushes brightly and I so badly want to run my finger down her face. She was so beautiful. Instead she puts her hand out

"Deal"

She states, I take her hand and shake it.

"Deal"

I reply, isla walks in and whistles

"You 2 are going to make some hot ass babies. You ready sis the show is about to begin"

I chuckle and close the bonnet, as Ailm pulls on her helmet and gets in the drivers side, Isla gets in the passenger side and pulls her helmet on.

"Good luck"

"Lucks got nothing to do with it, we are fucking awesome and that's that"

I chuckle as they start the car and I go to aspen and Luca and I can't tear the grin from my face, they both give me a cheesy grin back

"That was a good start"

"She's incredible, they both are. And so talented and smart, you were right they are amazing and I promise to help you help them fulfill their potential"

Luca pulls aspen in under his arm and kisses her head.

"Told you he would crumble"

Aspen swats him away rolling her eyes

"Well forgive me for thinking he had a little more backbone then that"

-----
Aspens POV

He was putty in her hands, she had no idea how much power she now held over him, but I'm glad that she has him and that he sees her for what she is and he's willing to help isla too so I was happy.

We took our seats in the side by the finish line, the race would show up on the big screen but these were the best seats in the house reserved for the owners aka me and Luca.

He grabs corn dogs and beer for us to drink while we watch the races, there were 3 races of the night. Anyone can race the first race, the first 10 to finish go onto the next round and then the last 5 would race for a cash prize of $2000 and a year's free entry into the races. 2nd prize was $1000 and 3rd was $500.

The girls were raining champions for the last few months, they were amazing and got better every week. The announcer started by talking about the girls and teasing the rest of the drivers about losing to little girls, they Of Course didn't like that and most of them stuck there hands out the window and flipped him the bird.

I was on Lucas' knee but I couldn't help myself from looking deacon over, his face was beaming since he left the garage and I could see his excitement. Megan and Brian joined us smiling.

The race started and deacon spent most of his time covering his eyes, not able to watch, making it so entertaining. We cheered them on and they came first in the first race.

After the track was cleared from all debris the next race started, this one was less scary because there were less cars crashing. They came 3rd in this one but when the final race started they took off like lunatics and only got faster throughout.

"Holy fuck how do you's watch this!"

Deacon said to nobody in particular

"After you watch your baby burst into flames and burn through everything from cots to moving cars you just grow accustomed to it"

Brian says patting him on the back, deacons eyes widened slightly

"I talked with her, can I ask, do you both know how talented and smart she is?"

I smirk and eat some popcorn, I like that he was willing to piss off her parents for her.

"Of Course we do, that's why we pushed so hard about school. But the more we pushed the worse they got. I love that they are wild and crazy but the pranks and refusing school just got a little much and eventually the pack were terrified of them both and in turn put more pressure on us to sort them out. At one point they even tried to tell us they didn't want them as alpha and beta but we stood our ground and told them to leave if they couldn't handle it. We love them so much, we are just scared for them but we know they are amazing kids, people see them, they stay away from them, avoid them like the plague instead of getting to know them."

His expression got harder as she talked to him, but I could see it wasn't anger towards them, it was about the pack, I know because I feel the same burning anger about it like he does.

"We will show there pack what they are truly capable of, even if it turns out we are not fated but mated and she rejects me I will still help them both"

He looked determined and that made me happy he was going to be so good for them I could tell.

But suddenly Lucas head snaps up into the air, I look into his mind and sniff to

'It's her I can smell her scent again'

I could smell the faint scent of jenna in the air, then Deacon's head snapped up and we all stood to our feet. I looked to a confused Megan and Brian

"Go to the girls and stay with them, have isla pull up their bubble when the race ends and get them home and keep the bubble up. Something is wrong"

We followed the scent without giving them the chance to reply, they got up and ran to the end gate as we took off after the scent.

"It can't be her"

Luca whispers, I squeeze his hand

"It might just be that girl fucking about. Trying to get into your head"

He nods and we follow the scent to the car park and I try to trigger a vision but I'm so bad at it and nothing important comes up so I link mum and ask her to do it. As we approach the trees I pull up my bubble and surround us.

"What the fuck is that"

Deacon looks around it in alarm

"Shhhh I'll tell you after just go with it"

We sniff in the direction and then I feel it and I grab their arms.

"Someone is dead"

They sniff the air but they don't smell it, I don't smell it either but I feel it in my bones. I followed the feeling and after a few more minutes the wind changed direction and the stink of human blood was overwhelming, faces clouded my vision and I groaned.

Trying to use my Banshee vision set on that part of me and because I didn't shut it away the way I normally do I now feel death. I follow the feeling. It's cold and ugly and I hate it. I'd rather play with fire than with ice anyday.

I followed the scent, it merged with jennas scent. As we walked towards it, the scene was similar to this morning's. A pair of trousers were hung on a tree, they were joes and there was a man ripped to pieces and his body was thrown all over the place.

"He's human"

"Mmmm... do we clean it up?"

I looked to Luca for advice, I had never had to cover up a murder before and I felt a little guilty. If they are wolf it's different but a human has a family and not knowing what happened to there child, brother or friend would be a difficult thing to deal with

"It's not near our packs, I say leave him. But I'll take the trousers"

He takes them and gags as he folds them up, then we walk back. My bubble will stop any DNA so we will be ok and the rogues won't get caught.

We return to the track and go straight home and head to our house, deacon comes with us. When we get there my head is burning with questions. The girls are on the deck smoking, so we join them and I turn to Luca.

"Ok i've gotta ask and I'm so sorry for having to but are you sure she's dead?"

He frowns at me, he was obviously lost in his own head

"Jenna? Yes She was ripped into tiny pieces, blood was everywhere you couldn't even see her face she was in so many pieces. And I felt her death and like this band snap when the bond broke and her mark left my neck"

I frown, something doesn't sit right with me when he answers.

"A band broke?"

"Yes?"

"When Arthur died a band didn't break. I still have my bond with him. If your bond broke, that's different. Megan's bond broke because Brian broke it. Mines didn't because I loved Arthur like you loved jenna. Are you sure it was her body"

He stands up and grabs a joint and lights it then swings around to me and kneels in front of me.

"Just tell me what your thinking here"

I sigh, I don't know if I'm being paranoid or if my banshee side picked up on something I don't know about.

"She was attacked, her body in so many pieces you couldn't identify her, except for scent and blood. If the body wasn't hers and she scented it? She poured her own blood over it and got Someone to break the bond then she could still be alive, she seems to be recreating her own death over and over again. So I ask you to really think about this. Are you sure she's dead? Her parents, Have you seen or talked to them since? Have you got a photo of her?"

He pulls out his phone and I ignore the burning jealousy of the fact he has a picture of her on his phone.

"The only photo I have is of us all when we are younger"

He scrolls through his phone and I relax a little when I realise it's a group photo. I take the phone and my hackles rise immediately.

"Is that her?"

I point to a blonde woman, around 18 or so. Luca nods

"Yeah that's her"

I get up and run into the office, I go to the back where there were old files. The girls, deacon and Luca follow me in and I throw them a box.

"Find a file called 'P.i"

I pull another box out and open it, Luca kneels beside me and we go through the box, I grab another and after a few minutes I find it and pull it out checking the date and label.

I go through it and come to some photos. I hand them over to Luca and he freezes as he studies them, I go to the information.

"Confirmed suspect is still alive.

Suspect is travelling with a band of rogues

Suspect realised she was being followed and made contact"

I go to a written note below it, it was Arthur's writing.

"Jenna found me at the office, she had a witch break the bond. She doesn't want Luca to know she is alive, I asked her why and she laughed at me and said she was with Eva and together they are better off without us. She said if I tell him they will kill him in front of me. I can't risk it because the band of rogues seem to follow her. For now I will leave it and return to the problem at a later date"

Lucas eyes burned with Unshed tears

"When was that?"

His anger through the bond made me physically uncomfortable, like I was burning from the inside out.

"7 years ago"

He growls and gets up, leaving the room. I rub my head and start to put everything back, Ailm and Isla grab my hand and squeeze it.

"Go to him, we will put this all away. No tricks we promise"

I smile and kiss both there heads and I turn to deacon

"If they get in trouble it's on you"

They giggle and he frowns looking at them both. I leave them to it and follow his scent to our room, he was on the floor by the deck smoking. I sit beside him but say nothing, after a minute he drops his head in my lap and hands me the joint, he looks up at me and smiles sadly.

I roll my finger over his soft frown lines and down the side of his face.

"Why would he keep this from me, from us"

"Maybe he new something we didn't"

"But how can it be so bad that he would lie to me for 10 years"

I consider it, I know why I would keep it a secret. I smile slightly but he catches it.

"Tell me"

"I wouldn't want to lose you, maybe she was serious when she said she would have killed you. Maybe he would rather lie than lose you, if you were going to lose him over Eva would you have lied?"

He sighs and closes his eyes, I play with his hair and lean down and kiss him.

"If she comes back what are you going to do?"

His eyes snap open and his face softens slightly, he sits up and pulls me into his lap so I'm straddling him. His huge hand cups my face as I try to hide the fear within myself and be there for him.

His electric green eyes are so bright and vibrant, the way his muscles strain against his white shirt. His callous thumb ran across my lip and he looked at me. I play with his beard

"You know I'd never leave you? You do know that don't you?"

I feel my eyes glaze over slightly and I swallow the lump in my throat and I shrug

"You do? You think I would leave you? Baby I can't even imagine leaving you. In Fact the thought of her upsetting you like this makes me want to kill her for real. Do you believe me?"

I smile and bite my lip

"I do"

He kisses me softly then pulls back and holds my face.

"I can't imagine being without you, half the time I want to bring you to the darn bathroom with me so I know where you are-"

'Knock knock knock'

The door opens slightly

"Are you both fucking or can we come in, I'm traumatised enough after last time"

We giggled at Isla and Ailm, they walked into the room without knocking and they haven't forgotten since.

"Come in"

They open the door and smile, they have several jam jars with them and a file.

"We came to help you wallow in self pity and drink your way through the pain. Plus we found something you need to see"

They sat down and handed us 2 jars each of poitín, I opened mine and take a gulp and sigh in happiness as it hit the back of my throat. Deacon had such a huge grin on his face it was almost funny as he watched Ailm like she was the only person in the world that mattered. She growled at him and threw a lighter at his head

"Would you stop staring at me like that, we are here to help Luca wallow not smile"

She snaps at him and we laugh at her, deacon rolls his eyes at her but listens to all of us talk.

"What did you find?"

"Something about this entire thing did not make sense, we all knew Arthur and he loved you so much Luca and we knew there was more to it so we checked the other boxes and we found this. Basically he didn't tell you because even together you would have lost. Look"

She opens the file and there's pictures of thousands of rogues together in a warehouse, they all seem to camp there and in another place they train and they train hard like savages.

"They threatened to kill both Luca and Arthur and take control of both lands and start their own pack. Jenna is the queen of the rogues or someone high up and close to her. After the threats he received he agreed not to say anything and just watch their movements. But before he got sick"

She hands me another file and opens it, pointing to a sheet of paper.

"Basically towards the end of his life he and his pi had a feeling that they were going to try to invade our 4 packs and take them over, kill our people and us and take the land over as their own, they have witches and everything working for them. This is big, bigger than us. I think we need our parents involved and Arden"

"We better go to the kitchen, deacon if you want to bring your father in on this there is a room Available for him"

He looked at Ailm worried

"He can't leave, I don't have a beta and we are small there isn't enough of a defense there"

I look at him

"Do you have places for warriors from the king's pack to stay if I send some that way?"

He looked at me wide eyed

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Your family now. We support our family, tell your father to have places prepared for them and I will have some sent straight away"

Ailm grabs his arm and squeezes it

"She's right. I might not be ready for all this but you are family now. Take the help please"

A big cheesy grin spreads across his face and she blushes slightly. He turns to me

"That would be amazing, I'll have dad prepare for their arrival thank you"

I Ring Arden and fill him in. He agrees to send reinforcements to deacon's pack and he will have more on call if we need them.

We head to the kitchen and fill my parents in and Megan and Brian, when the girls finished telling them everything, Brian and Megan's eyes were glassy.

"Mum, dad it's going to be ok we are going to deal with her, they won't hurt our pack"